In 1619, a Dutch ship arrived in Jamestown, Virginia. It picked up tobacco and paid for it with 20 black African captives which the Dutch probably had taken from a slave trader going to the Spanish West Indies. By 1700, enslaved blacks would be the majority of the work force in some of the southern colonies.Life as a slave was hard and filled with abuse. For food slaves got cornmeal, salt, herrings, and 8lbs of pork or fish each month. Slave’s houses were wooden shacks with dirt floors. Their beds were bunks with grass and hay to lie on and one blanket. http://www.nationalgeographic.com/railroad/j1.html
Each room held 12 slaves. When a child was 1 year old they could sell their mother. When the child is 4 they could be used as a babysitter. Around the age of 5 they could be used to run errands. Slaves could be killed for murder, burglary, arson, and assault of a white. The most common punishment for a slave for defiance was getting whipped with a whip. Getting beaten with things like chairs, brooms, tongs, shovels, shears, knife handles, and oak clubs were also common. Some slaves resorted to running away to get away from the harsh punishments and unfair treatment. Most slaves tried to escape on the Underground Railroad which was a line of houses and a lot of people who helped slaves escape and get to the north like in Canada or something, to help them be free. The struggle for most slaves ended in December 1865, the 13th amendment was ratified and abolished slavery.
The Struggle to Freedom
In 1619, a Dutch ship arrived in Jamestown, Virginia. It picked up tobacco and paid for it with 20 black African captives which the Dutch probably had taken from a slave trader going to the Spanish West Indies.By 1700, enslaved blacks would be the majority of the work force in some of the southern colonies. Life as a slave was hard and filled with abuse. For food slaves got cornmeal, salt, herrings, and 8lbs of pork or fish each month. Slave’s houses were wooden shacks with dirt floors. Their beds were bunks with grass and hay to lie on and one blanket.
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/railroad/j1.html
Each room held 12 slaves.
When a child was 1 year old they could sell their mother. When the child is 4 they could be used as a babysitter. Around the age of 5 they could be used to run errands. Slaves could be killed for murder, burglary, arson, and assault of a white. The most common punishment for a slave for defiance was getting whipped with a whip.
Getting beaten with things like chairs, brooms, tongs, shovels, shears, knife handles, and oak clubs were also common. Some slaves resorted to running away to get away from the harsh punishments and unfair treatment.
Most slaves tried to escape on the Underground Railroad which was a line of houses and a lot of people who helped slaves escape and get to the north like in Canada or something, to help them be free. The struggle for most slaves ended in December 1865, the 13th amendment was ratified and abolished slavery.